U18 REPORT: DERBY COUNTY 4 LATICS 3

Latics almost fightback from 4-1 down, but Derby hold on to progress to round four of the FA Youth Cup.

DERBY COUNTY 4

Revan 38, 49

Thomas 50

Guy 62

WIGAN ATHLETIC 3

Robles 44, 82

Hamilton 78

Joe Parkinson's Latics narrowly missed out in the third round of the FA Youth Cup after they battled bravely to try and fightback from a 4-1 deficit in the second half, with goals from Matthew Hamilton and a second for Louis Robles as he equalised at 1-1 in the first half.

Latics fell behind to a goal from Kurtis Revan in the first half, before Robles' equaliser, but two goals in two minutes inside the first five minutes of the second half saw Latics 3-1 down.

Derby's fourth looked to have killed Latics off, but they fought back gallantly, missing about by just a single goal on an exciting evening at the iPro Stadium.

The first half looked like it would be a tale of two keepers, with both Latics' Connor Keane and Derby's Eric Behrens pulling off some solid stops from speculative efforts.

Derby took the lead on 38 minutes when an initial effort from Kwame Thomas was well saved by Keane, but unfortunately it fell to Revan with an open goal to aim at as he tapped it home.

Heading into half time Latics gave themselves a good footing, and it got even better with a minute remaining when Under 16 Josh Gregory dispossessed the Rams and Matty Hamilton's excellent through ball was turned in by Louis Robles, who beat the offside trap to score down the left of the area.

With a clean slate to work with at the break, Latics saw the rug pulled from under their feet when the young Rams scored twice in the space of two second half minutes.

Revan added his second of the night with a cool finish down the right side, before Thomas bundled the ball over the line from close range as the ball came in low from the left and Latics failed to clear.

On 62 minutes Derby added a fourth when Callum Guy swept the ball home from 10 yards out as Latics again couldn't clear their lines, and it could have been worse when Mason Bennett dribbled through two defenders, rounded the goalkeeper but saw his poke towards an open goal hacked off the line with a last-ditch Mayo Balogun clearance.

Then came the fight back from Joe Parkinson's side.

Joey Johnson's introduction in the second half sparked life into Latics, but it was Matty Hamilton who would first make an impact when he turned in Balogun's cross from close range.

Four minutes later Johnson played in a low delivery from a free kick on the right wing which fooled the defence and allowed Robles to score his second of the net as he turned in from the edge of the six yard box.

Latics were unfortunate in their efforts and such was the desire to equalise, even centre back Ellis Gibbons made a 40-yard run down the right wing to try and force the issue.

After four minutes of stoppage time the whistle echoed inside the iPro Stadium, sending the Rams through to the fourth round in a thrilling winter night in Derbyshire.